title: Toxoplasma gondii infection in cats: ABCD guidelines on prevention and management.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Toxoplasma gondii infection is common in cats, but the clinical disease is rare. Up to 50% of cats, especially free-roaming ones, have antibodies indicating infection and the presence of cystic stages.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical signs only appear in few cats when they become immunosuppressed - in these situations cystic stages can be reactivated. Commonly affected are the central nervous system (CNS), muscles, lungs and eyes. HUMAN INFECTION: Cats can pose a risk for humans when they shed oocysts. However, this happens only once in their lifetime, usually only for 3-10 days after ingestion of tissue cysts. Thus, cats that have antibodies to T gondii no longer shed oocysts, and do not pose a risk to humans.
authors.affiliation: European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases. Hartmann@uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Addie
authors.forename: Sándor
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Belák
authors.forename: Corine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Boucraut-Baralon
authors.forename: Herman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Egberink
authors.forename: Tadeusz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Frymus
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gruffydd-Jones
authors.forename: Margaret J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hosie
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lloret
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lutz
authors.forename: Fulvio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marsilio
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Möstl
authors.forename: Maria Grazia
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Pennisi
authors.forename: Alan D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Radford
authors.forename: Etienne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Thiry
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Truyen
authors.forename: Marian C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Horzinek
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D002415:Cats; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000517:prevention & control